Celebrity Styling with The Today Show's Melissa Garcia - 015
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
Release Date: 07/07/2016
Sitcoms with Janae Bakken ("Scrubs") - 026
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
Janae Bakken grew up in Minnesota - where she spent too many frozen winters on the cross-country ski team, and went to college in Chicago - where she rarely saw the sun, so she made her escape to Los Angeles soon after graduation. She worked on the production staffs of such shows as Mad About You, Caroline in the City, and Malcolm in the Middle before making the jump to writer, where she spent eight years writing on the critically-acclaimed Scrubs, rising from a Staff Writer to Co-Executive Producer. Janae was twice-nominated for an Emmy Award with the...
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How I Broke Into Writing with Taffy Brodesser-Akner (GQ, NY Times) - 025
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
is a writer who has contributed compelling non-fiction features to major publications such as the New York Times Magazine, GQ, Cosmopolitan, Los Angeles Times, SElf, and so many more. Taffy is also the author of the forthcoming Random House novel, Schrödinger's Marriage. Taffy has been a finalist for multiple awards, including the James Beard Award and the Mirror Award, and has won awards from the New York Press Club, the Los Angeles Press Club, Society of Feature Journalists. She also teaches a phenomenal writing class, but the class we discuss in this interview unfortunately sold out...
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How I Broke Into Photography with Jordan Matter ("Dancers Among Us") - 024
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
Jordan Matter, a Manhattan portrait photographer, is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Dancers Among Us, a collection of photographs of dancers in everyday situations around the world, and his collection of photos of nudes in public places, Dancers After Dark, is a monumental achievement, in my humble opinion. He and his work have been featured on television, in print, online, and in exhibitions throughout the world, including Buzzfeed, ABC World News Tonight, Today, The Tyra Banks Show, the BBC, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, #1 on Reddit, Daily Mail U.K., O, The Oprah...
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Surf Art with Nelson Ruger, "Nelson Makes Art" - 023
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
Nelson Ruger grew up along the beaches of southern New Jersey, finding his stomping grounds among Ocean City’s 7th Street and North Street beaches and boardwalks. Loving art from an early age, he dove into a career as a theatrical artist, designing scenery and lighting for stage productions up and down the eastern United States, lending his creative style from tiny one-room shows to huge regional theaters. In 1998, he fulfilled his dream of designing on Broadway. With this life goal achieved so young, Nelson began searching for new horizons and artistic possibilities. Nelson...
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Charity with Brad Broder, Kenya Education Fund - 022
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
Bradley Broder is the founder and Executive Director of the . Bradley founded Kenya Education Fund as a means of supporting the children he befriended while serving in the US Peace Corps for two years (Kenya 1999-2001). Bradley has over 17 years experience working with Kenya and speaks fluent Kiswahili. His deep, personal connection with Kenya and knowledge of international development issues has led Bradley to focus KEF focus on keeping Kenyans in school to develop the country’s human capital and reduce dependency on foreign aid. Brad holds a BA in Spanish from SUNY...
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Chef Life with Chef Rossi, Anti-Caterer, "The Raging Skillet" - 021
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
Chef Rossi, of the renowned Raging Skillet, is a master storyteller, and this episode doesn't disappoint. She is not your ordinary chef. She credits her success to everything from "kishka and grits" to marijuana munchies to the Hasidim in Crown Heights to foul-mouthed bar tending. Her stories are phenomenal, worthy of a Moth competition. Oh, and don't take my word for it: her cookbook (!)/memoir is being turned into a play and screenplay! Rossi, yes, she only has one name -– has been a writer for many publications, such as The Daily News, The New York Post, Time Out New...
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Circus Life with Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson (Ringling Bros. "Greatest Show on Earth") - 020
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson is the Voice of the Greatest Show on Earth. He began performing at age 11 with the world-famous Boys Choir of Harlem. For seven years, he was intensely trained in all forms of music including classical, jazz, hip hop and gospel. Johnathan experienced a string of unforgettable, inspiring moments as a member of the Boys Choir, which included being awarded the lead tenor role for the choir, singing at the intermission for Luciano Pavarotti's Concert in Central Park, performing in a live show on Broadway for two weeks and winning second place in the Lena Horne...
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Artisan Cheese with Adam Moskowitz, founder of the Cheesemonger Invitational - 019
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
Adam Moskowitz is the wunderkind President of and , and he founded the Cheesemonger Invitational, an in-demand twice-a-year event that is considered the Olympics of cheese skills, an celebrates what are to cheese what sommeliers are to wine. The profits from the CMI, which Adam hosts as his alter-ego, "Mr. Moo," go towards The Barnyard Collective, an organization devoted to food education. Adam was responsible for the introduction of Challerhocker cheese to the U.S., just as his father was responsible for the introduction of cave-aged Gruyere to the U.S. But Adam bought out his own father's...
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Modern KidLit with Amy Ignatow ("The Popularity Papers, "Mighty Odds") - 018
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
Amy Ignatow is a writer and illustrator living in Philadelphia with her family. After graduating from Moore College of Art and Design she worked as a freelance illustrator, a stationery designer, an air-brush face and body painter, an art teacher, an SAT prep instructor, a reporter, a wedding singer, and a florist. Amy was not very good at working for other people. Or with other people. Or around other people. Now she happily works in a studio by herself. She is the author and illustrator of the critically acclaimed middle grade POPULARITY PAPERS series as well as the upcoming ODDS...
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Miracle Making with Hal Elrod, Author of "The Miracle Morning" - 017
How I Broke Into: Michael Prywes Interviews Artists and Entrepreneurs About Their Big Break
For most of my life, I was a night owl. Starting a little more than 5 years ago, I went through a series of transformations to better my life, and one of my greatest and most difficult transformations was going from a night owl to an early bird. When people heard what I was doing, many told me about this amazing book, The Miracle Morning, widely regarded as “one of the most life-changing books ever written”. I read it (and listened to the audio book), and I was inspired. When I started up my podcast, Hal Elrod was on the short list of people I just had to interview. Hal...
info_outlineAfter practicing law for nearly 10 years, Melissa Garcia left it all behind to follow her dreams in fashion and hasn't looked back since. Melissa spends her days making appearances as a fashion expert on shows such as the TODAY Show, The Wendy Williams Show, EXTRA or The Meredith Vieira Show to name a few; shooting segments for global network-Fashion One as their Business/Fashion Expert; writing fashion Columns for sites such as E! or Ivanka Trump or styling actors/TV personalities. Melissa embraces charity work; she was lead stylist on a charity shoot benefiting the Women's Prison Organization, is a volunteer for Dress For Success and has also offered her services for both women's and children's cancer organizations. Her relatability, professionalism and expertise make Melissa one of the most highly sought after fashion experts in the country. Melissa lives in New York and is married to her high school sweetheart with whom she has three beautiful children.
Follow her on Snapchat
@mgarciastyling
Follow her on Instagram
http://instagram.com/melissaga
Follow her on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/melis
Follow her on Twitter
https://twitter.com/mgarciasty
Notes from the show:
From an early age, Melissa loved fashion. Her grandmother knitted and crocheted and her grandfather was a tailor.
She always thought that success meant becoming a doctor or lawyer.
She almost dropped out of law school, but she doesn't consider herself a quitter.
Melissa practiced for 10 years, and hated most of it.
While she was an attorney, Melissa found that people sought her fashion advice.
Melissa's best friend, a holistic life coach, convinced her to leave law.
She started up a web site after taking an 8 week online course.
A local blogger, Amy Selling of LuluandLattes.com promoted her.
She creates a "digital lookbook" for easy repeat use from a phone.
Every woman has a different feeling about hiring a personal stylist. There is a lot of insecurity involved.
"I feel we're all given gifts that we're born with, and whether you choose to pursue them or not is up to you... What do you love to do that comes naturally and easy to you, that's not easy for everyone else? That's your gift."
Her job is to tap into each individual's personal style.
Having a supportive husband was instrumental to her success.
One of her best friends' friend is in PR, and connected Melissa. They shot a segment on an iPhone and that got her her first gig: better TV.
"I always come from a place of 'Yes.' "
"Fear: False Evidence Appearing Real."
"If you don't let fear get in the way, and you kind of take a huge chance and leap of faith and walk through the fear, amazing things happen on the other side."
The Today Show had her first appearance during a blizzard.
"My real job is when I am home."
It takes a village.
Social media keeps her in the loop.
"I've had to become comfortable in the uncomfortable."
Book recommendations:
Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success by Steve Harvey
Destiny: Step Into Your Purpose by T.D. Jakes
Discussed Life is Too Short for Miller Lite
The joys of helping clients feel beautiful
She has worked with a number of charitable organizations, including Dress for Success and Women's Prison Association.
She still works with everyday women.
Melissa wants to do more television and more charitable work.
When she left law, her family took a financial hit.
Her preference for social media platforms has shifted from Facebook to instagram to Snapchat.
"Please, take that leap of faith!"